Barbra Streisand is sharing secrets from her past in her highly-anticipated memoir, “My Name Is Barbra.”
Streisand opened up about her famous film “The Way We Were” and other topics in the book, including her friendship with Marlon Brando and her relationship with James Brolin.
At a party in 1966, Streisand said Brando propositioned her for a sexual relationship. He told Streisand, “I’d like to f— you,” while his wife was in the adjoining room, according to Vanity Fair who got a preview of the memoir. She declined, and the two went on to become lifelong friends.
Streisand also shared the criticism Brando gave her after the release of the film “Funny Girl”. The actor called her up and said, “You were really good, but you run funny,” the outlet reported.
Barbra Streisand claimed Marlon Brando propositioned her with a sexual relationship when the two first met in the 1960s in her upcoming memoir. (Getty Images)
Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand ended up having a long friendship. (Getty Images)
Streisand also revealed how she got Robert Redford on board for “The Way We Were,” after he originally turned down the role.
Sydney Pollack was set to direct, and Streisand felt Redford was the “particular actor” perfect for the role of Hubbell Gardiner in the 1973 film.
“Many people first noticed Bob in ‘Barefoot in the Park,’ but that didn’t make much of an impression on me,” Streisand admitted in an excerpt published by Vanity Fair. “It was a light comedy and he was perfectly passable. It was only when I watched him in ‘This Property Is Condemned,’ which Sydney directed, that I saw there was a lot going on behind those crystal-blue eyes.
“I was drawn to him not because of his appearance…guys with blond hair and blue eyes were never my type. I did think he was very handsome…a wonderful jawline…great teeth,” she added. “But what intrigued me most about Bob was his complexity. You never quite know what he’s thinking, and that makes him fascinating to watch onscreen. Like the greatest movie stars, Bob understands the power of restraint. You’re never going to get it all…and that’s the mystery…that’s what makes you want to keep looking at him.”
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Robert Redford originally turned down the role of Hubbell in the 1973 film “The Way We Were” starring Barbra Streisand. (Getty Images)
However, Redford originally turned down the role. The actor worried “the script was so focused on Katie that Hubbell’s character was underdeveloped. (He was right),” Streisand wrote.
“Bob asked Sydney, ‘Who is this guy? He’s just an object…. He doesn’t want anything. What does this guy want?’ In Bob’s opinion, [Hubbell] was ‘shallow and one-dimensional. Not very real.’ ‘A pin-up girl in reverse,’ as Sydney put it.”
“I wanted Bob to be happy, so I told Sydney, ‘Give him anything he wants. Write more scenes to strengthen his character. Make it equal,’” Streisand recalled. “So Sydney hired two excellent writers, David Rayfiel and Alvin Sargent, to beef up Bob’s part and go deeper, beneath that golden-boy exterior. And I told Ray to pay him whatever he wanted. But Bob’s answer was still no. I was heartbroken.”
Barbra Streisand worked to convince Robert Redford to take on the role despite him turning down the role. (Getty Images)
Ryan O’Neal was next on the list of possible actors for the role of Hubbell, but Pollack, the film’s director, and Streisand begged for more time to convince Redford the role was right for him. Eventually, he agreed, and the movie went on to be a huge success.
“The courtship had been tough, but Bob’s reluctance had a big influence on the script and ultimately resulted in a richer, more interesting character,” Streisand admitted.
Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford on the set of “The Way We Were.” (Getty Images)
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Streisand’s memoir was announced in February and will be available on Nov. 7. Viking, a Penguin Random House imprint, is publishing the 992-page story.
“The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming,” according to the publisher.
“She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making ‘Yentl’; her direction of ‘The Prince of Tides’; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin.”
“My Name Is Barbra” will be released on Nov. 7. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
